Malone College Sports This Week
Apr. 14 (Mon.) - Men's Golf (B team) at Walsh University Invitational (Raintree C.C., Akron, OH); 8:00 a.m.
- Men's Tennis at Grove City (PA) College; 3:00 p.m.
Apr. 14-15 (Mon.-Tue.) - Men's Golf (A team) at NAIA Classic (Indianapolis, IN); 10:00 a.m.
Apr. 15 (Tue.) - Women's Golf at Wittenberg University Invitational
- Softball home against Point Park (PA) University; 3:30 p.m. DH
- Baseball at Notre Dame (OH) College; 4:00 p.m. DH
Apr. 16 (Wed.) - Women's Tennis at Carlow (PA) College; 1:00 p.m.
Apr. 17 (Thu.) - Baseball home against Baldwin-Wallace College; 1:00 p.m. (single game)
- Men's Tennis at Ohio Dominican University; 4:00 p.m. (NOTE: changed from 1:00 p.m.)
- Softball at Ursuline College; 4:00 p.m. DH
Apr. 18 (Fri.) - Baseball home against Point Park (PA) University; 1:00 p.m. DH
- Softball home against Shawnee State University; 3:30 p.m. DH
- Women's Tennis at Cedarville University; 3:30 p.m.
Apr. 18-19 (Fri.-Sat.) - Women's Golf at Bethel Blackthorn Challenge (Mishawaka, IN); 10:00 a.m.
- Men's Golf hosts Malone Invitational (Tannenhauf G.C., Alliance, OH); 10:00 a.m.
- Men's and Women's Track & Field hosts AMC Championships (Fri.-3:00 p.m.; Sat.-9:30 a.m.)
Apr. 19 (Sat.) - Men's Tennis at Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College; 12:00 p.m.
- Softball vs. Mt. Vernon Nazarene University (played at Geneva College); 12:00 p.m. (NCCAA East Regionals)
- Softball at Geneva (PA) College; 2:00 p.m. (NCCAA East Regionals)
- Baseball at Point Park (PA) University; 1:00 p.m. DH
- Women's Tennis home against Shawnee State University; 2:00 p.m. (match originally scheduled at Shawnee St.)
Last Week at a Glance
Baseball - Malone defeats:
University of Rio Grande 13-2
University of Rio Grande 4-2
Walsh University 8-5
Ohio Dominican University 4-0
Ohio Dominican University 6-5
Notre Dame (OH) College 19-6 (five innings)
Notre Dame (OH) College 4-2
Malone loses to:
Walsh University 7-4
Cleveland State University 8-4
CURRENT RECORD: 24-9 (13-3 AMC)
Men's Tennis - Malone defeats:
Cedarville University 5-4
Walsh University 6-3
Tiffin University 6-3
CURRENT RECORD: 12-4 (3-0 AMC)
Men's and Women's Track & Field - Both the men's and women's teams captured team championships at the Walsh University Invitational last Saturday (the men among a five-team field and the women among six teams
Men's Golf - Malone finished second among nine teams at the Mt. Vernon Nazarene University Invitational last Friday and Saturday
Women's Golf - Malone finished in sixth place among 12 teams at the University of St. Francis (IN) Invitational last Friday and Saturday
Women's Tennis - Malone defeats:
Ursuline College 8-1
- Malone loses to:
Ohio Dominican University 9-0
Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College 5-4
CURRENT RECORD: 2-9 (1-3 AMC)
Softball - Malone loses to:
Mt. Union College 14-3 (five innings)
Mt. Union College 12-4 (six innings)
Ashland University 7-0
Ashland University 10-2
Notre Dame (OH) College 9-2
Notre Dame (OH) College 6-1 CURRENT RECORD: 8-14 (2-8 AMC North)
Baseball Notches 7-2 Record On The Week, Takes Over Top Spot In Conference Standings
The Malone College baseball team moved into first place atop the American Mideast Conference standings this week after winning seven of its nine scheduled contests. The squad opened up its busy week on Monday and Tuesday by winning three of four American Mideast Conference home games at Thurman Munson Stadium. The Pioneers swept their make-up doubleheader with the University of Rio Grande on Monday, taking the opener 13-2 and the nightcap 4-2. The squad then faced off with local rival Walsh University on Tuesday afternoon and came away with a split, falling 7-4 in game one before bouncing back to win game two by a final score of 8-5. On Wednesday, the Pioneers fell at NCAA Division I Cleveland State University by a final score of 8-4. Malone then wrapped up the week on Friday and Saturday by posting a 4-0 record in home doubleheaders against Ohio Dominican University and Notre Dame (OH) College. The Pioneers defeated Ohio Dominican 4-0 and 6-5 on Friday before celebrating Coach Bob Starcher Memorial Day on Saturday with wins of 19-6 (in five innings) and 4-2 over Notre Dame.
Ohio Dominican, ranked 21st in the most recent NAIA national poll, had entered Friday leading the AMC with a 9-1 mark in conference play but following this weekend’s action Malone has claimed the top spot as the squad now holds a 13-3 record in AMC competition (24-9 overall). With approximately three weeks remaining in the regular season, Ohio Dominican is now second in the 10-team conference with an 11-3 mark (24-10 overall) while Walsh University is right behind at 12-5 (18-12 overall).
The Pioneers’ offense caught fire in Monday’s opener against Rio Grande as the hosts ripped 15 hits and scored at least one run in every inning to pull away for a convincing 13-2, six-inning victory. Senior right-handed pitcher Zach Winkhart (Canton Central Catholic H.S.) started on the mound and picked up his third win of the season (3-0) after limiting Rio to one run on three hits over five innings of work. Winkhart, who struck out four while walking two, also helped his own cause at the plate by going 4-4 with two doubles and three runs batted in. Senior centerfielder Troy Richeson (Minerva H.S.) notched a season-high five RBI from the lead-off spot with two doubles and a pair of singles.
After its bats did the damage in game one, Malone’s pitching took center stage in game two on Monday as sophomore left-handed starter Todd Liberatore (Tusc. Central Catholic H.S.) led Malone to a 4-2 win with a complete-game effort on the mound. Liberatore gave up just two runs (one earned) on seven hits over seven innings pitched while striking out a career-high 10 Rio Grande batters. The contest was knotted at 2-2 after six innings before the Pioneers took the lead in the top of the seventh on back-to-back two-out, RBI singles by Richeson and junior shortstop Scott McIlvain (Marlington H.S.). Senior rightfielder John Stallings (Louisville H.S.) went 2-2 in the contest, swiped two bases and scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh.
The Pioneers entered the seventh inning of Tuesday’s opener against Walsh with a 4-3 advantage but the visiting Cavaliers then rallied for four runs in the top of the frame to tally a come-from-behind 7-4 win. Freshman right-handed pitcher Bryan Bayer (Fairless H.S.) took the loss in relief after surrendering four runs (three earned) on five hits over 2.2 innings of work. Malone posted seven hits in the game as junior first baseman Ryan Baechel (GlenOak H.S.) went 1-3 at the plate with a double and two runs scored.
In Tuesday’s finale, the Pioneers broke open a 3-3 game by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to take an 8-3 lead. Walsh brought home two runs in the top of the seventh inning and then made things interesting by loading the bases with no one out. The Cavalier threat was quickly extinguished, though, as freshman lefty Jeff Shenker (Twinsburg H.S.) then entered the game and preserved the 8-5 victory by inducing a fly out and a double play ground ball for his first career save. Junior right-hander Adam Boudler (Louisville H.S.) picked up his fifth win of the season after working 1.2 innings of relief. Stallings plated a pair of runs in the fifth inning with a two-out single and Baechel extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a pair of singles.
The Pioneers trailed 4-0 in the early going of Wednesday’s game at Cleveland State before fighting back to knot the game at 4-4 in the top of the seventh inning. The Vikings quickly responded, however, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh and two more runs in the bottom of the eighth to pull away for the 8-4, nine-inning victory.
In Friday’s opener against ODU, junior right-handed starting pitcher Sam Campitella (Jackson H.S.) led the Pioneers to the 4-0 triumph after working a complete-game, six-hit shutout. With the strong outing, Campitella picked up his fourth win of the season (4-0) while lowering his conference-best earned run average to 0.72. Baechel gave Malone an early 1-0 advantage in the contest after clubbing a solo homer in the bottom of the first inning. The hosts brought home two runs in the bottom of the second with a successful suicide squeeze bunt by freshman infielder Justin Shiflett (Zane Trace H.S.) and then tacked on an insurance run in the fifth with a two-out RBI single by McIlvain.
In Friday’s second game, junior catcher Zac Barson’s (Canton South H.S.) clutch, bases-loaded single drove home senior centerfielder Troy Richeson (Minerva H.S.) in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Malone a thrilling 6-5 win. The Pioneers had held an early 4-1 lead in the contest before Panther third baseman Matt Shiring blasted a three-run homer in the top of the fourth inning to knot the game at 4-4. Richeson quickly put Malone back in front 5-4 in the bottom of the frame with a one-out RBI single. The score then remained unchanged until the top of the seventh when Ohio Dominican pushed a run across to once again tie the score at 5-5. Richeson ripped a one-out triple to get things going in the bottom of the seventh. The Panthers then elected to intentionally walk McIlvain and Baechel to set up a potential double play but Barson foiled their strategy by delivering the game-winning base hit up the middle. Bayer earned the win in relief (2-1) after recording the final two outs in the top of the seventh inning.
Against Notre Dame in game one on Saturday, the Pioneers racked up 14 hits and took advantage of five Falcon fielding errors in a convincing 19-6, five-inning victory. Malone plated nine runs in the bottom of the first, added two runs in the second and then put the game away with eight additional runs in the bottom of the third. Boudler started the game and recorded his team-leading sixth victory (6-2) of the season after giving up just three hits over three scoreless innings of work. Five different Pioneers recorded at least two hits in the game as McIlvain went 3-3 with three runs scored and three RBI. Senior left-fielder Chris Mandeville (Tuslaw H.S.) also recorded three hits in three at-bats with two runs scored and four runs batted in. Baechel drove home four runs with a two-run double and a two-run homer, Richeson went 2-3 at the plate with four runs scored and three RBI while Barson went 2-4 with one run batted in.
After all the offense in Saturday’s opener, pitching was the story in the nightcap as Liberatore went the distance on the mound for a 4-2 victory. The sophomore lefty improved to 5-0 on the season after surrendering just two runs (one earned) on six hits over seven innings pitched. After each team tallied a run in its half of the first inning, Malone took the lead in the bottom of the second by loading the bases and then drawing three consecutive RBI walks. The Falcons scored an unearned run in the top of the fifth to trim the Pioneers’ advantage to 4-2 but the visitors were then unable to get any closer over the remainder of the contest. Although Malone matched a season low with just four hits, the hosts’ patient approach at the plate paid off as the squad racked up a season-high eight bases on balls. McIlvain went 2-3 in the contest with one run scored and Barson went 1-2 at the plate with two runs batted in.
This week, Malone (24-9 overall, 13-3 AMC) will look to extend its five-game conference winning streak when it travels to Notre Dame (15-15 overall, 7-9 AMC) on Tuesday for a 4:00 p.m. twinbill (changed from 1:00 p.m.) with the Falcons. On Thursday, the Pioneers will host NCAA Division III Baldwin-Wallace College (12-10-1, 4-4 OAC) with a nine-inning varsity contest slated for 1:00 p.m. followed by a seven-inning junior varsity game. Malone will then face Point Park (PA) University (5-19 overall, 4-10 AMC) in two conference doubleheaders over the weekend. The squads will play a pair of games at Thurman Munson Stadium on Friday at 1:00 p.m. before facing off in two more games in Pittsburgh on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
Men's Tennis Team Defeats Cedarville, Walsh, Tiffin
The Malone College men's tennis team collected three victories in as many matches last week as the squad defeated Cedarville 5-4 in a home match on Monday, posted a 6-3 victory at Walsh University on Wednesday and closed out the week at Tiffin University with a 6-3 victory. With the 3-0 week, Malone now stands at 12-4 overall and at 3-0 in the AMC.
In the Walsh victory, with Malone leading 2-1 after doubles play, two Pioneer athletes, #2 singles player Kyle Bowers and #3 David Cairns, continued to battle in singles competition despite still recovering from the flu. Bowers was able to post an incredibly hard-fought 7-6, 6-3 win despite feeling ill while Cairns, after winning the first set 6-1 but dropping the second set 6-4, was forced to retire after the second set due to his illness.
"Neither player really should have been out there on the court, "said head coach Tom Brown. "But I left it up to them and they wanted to play despite the fact that they were very ill. The other guys on the team were really inspired by their willingness to help the team and I know that really motivated everyone."
Scores for the matches (in order - Cedarville, Walsh, Tiffin) were as follows:
#1 Jason Christman (Sr., McKinley H.S.) W 6-2, 6-3 L 6-4, 6-4 W 6-4, 6-1
#2 Kyle Bowers (Jr., Norwalk H.S.) L 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 W 7-6, 6-3 L 6-0, 6-0
#3 David Cairns (Fr., Strongsville H.S.) W 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 L 1-6, 6-4, (retired) L 6-4, 6-4
#4 Nathaniel Rodd (So., Canton, OH) W 6-4, 6-1 W 6-1, 7-5 W 6-2, 6-2
#5 Tim Springirth (Jr., Erie, PA) L 6-4, 2-6, 10-4 W 6-4, 6-4 W 6-4, 7-5
#6 Tim Frazier (So., Beaver Falls, PA) L 6-4, 6-2 W 7-5, 4-6/11-9 L 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
#1 Christman/Bowers W 8-2 L 8-4 W 9-7
#2 Cairns/Rodd L 9-7 W 8-6 W 8-5
#3 Springirth/Dan Yard (Sr., Louisville H.S.) W 8-6 W 8-6 W 8-5
This week, Malone (12-4, 3-0 AMC) will play at Grove City (PA) College on Monday at 3:00 p.m. and at Ohio Dominican University on Thursday at 4:00 p.m.. The team will close out the week by playing at Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.
Men's And Women's Track & Field Teams Capture Walsh Invitational Titles
The Malone College men's and women's track & field teams both captured team titles at the Walsh University Invitational last Saturday. The men's team tallied 283 points to easily outdistance runner-up Walsh, which had 228 points, among a five-team field while the Malone women finished with 266 points to edge Walsh, which had 259 points, for the women's title among a six-team field.
In the men's field, Mt. Union College took third (118), Notre Dame (OH) College was fourth (77) and John Carroll University placed fifth (32). In the women's field, Ursuline College came in third (189), Cuyahoga Community College took fourth (109), Mt. Union placed fifth (62) and Notre Dame finished sixth (49).
For the Malone men, 10 athletes took individual event titles including Shane McLaughlin (So., Caldwell H.S.) in the high jump (6' 0") and long jump (20' 9"), Bryan Krieger (So., Cuyahoga Falls H.S.) in the 200 meters (22.89), Chris Cruise (Sr., Field H.S.) in the 400 meters (50.29), Aaron Melhorn (Fr., Fairless H.S.) in the 800 meters (1:59.13), Chris Sinick (So., Field H.S.) in the 1500 meters (3:58.83), Brady West (Sr., West Muskingum H.S.) in the 110-meter hurdles (16.71), Garrett Oliver (So., Benjamin Logan H.S.) in the 400-meter hurdles (56.59), Roger Berning (So., Battle Creek, MI) in the javelin (136' 1") and Justin Jump (Jr., Wellington H.S.) in the hammer throw (172' 7"). Justin Jump's effort in the hammer throw was an NAIA automatic national qualifying mark. In addition, the men's 4x400-meter relay team of Jay Brueckner (Sr., Crestview H.S.), Nik Schweikert (Jr., Beavercreek H.S.), Chris Sinick and Mike Coates (Sr. Sandy Valley H.S.) won their event in a time of 3:31.34.
The Malone women's team had eight athletes capture event championships including Laura McElrath (Sr., Tallmadge H.S.) in the high jump (5' 2") and long jump (16' 5"), Rebekah Genter (Jr., Crestview H.S.) in the 1500 meters (4:53.60), Megan Patton (Jr., Perry H.S.) in the 400-meter hurdles (1:09.00), Becky Rospotynski (So., Copley H.S.) in the pole vault (11' 0"), Amy Gladd (Fr., Butler, PA) in the triple jump (32' 6.5"), Emily Alderfer (So., Urbana H.S.) in the hammer throw (141' 10") and Lori Ickes (Fr., Smithville H.S.) in the javelin (119' 7.5").
The men's team also had numerous athletes finishing in the top three in an event. Taking second for the Pioneer men was West in the high jump (5' 8") and the long jump (20' 3.5"), Caleb Marburger (So., Tuscarawas Valley H.S.) in the shot put (44' 11.5") and the hammer throw (141' 3"), Melhorn in the 1500 meters (4:02.27), McLaughlin in the 110-meter hurdles (17.39), Steven Young (Fr., Gladstone, MO) in the triple jump (40' 7") and Jump in the discus (149' 10").
Third-place efforts for the men included Krieger in the 100 meters (11.56), James Zeuch (Fr., Galion H.S.) in the 800 meters (2:01.08), Coates in the 1500 meters (4:04.04), Oliver in the 110-meter hurdles (17.42), McLaughlin in the 400-meter hurdles (1:02.59), Branden Johnson (Fr., Springfield H.S.) in the hammer throw (132' 3") and the men's 4x100-meter relay team of Oliver, Josh Chaffin (Jr., Norwayne H.S.), Bryan McCanna (Fr., Smithville H.S.) and Krieger in a time of 44.83 seconds.
The women's team also posted numerous top three finishes. Second-place finishers included Amanda Theis (Fr., Seneca East H.S.) in the 200 meters (27.10) and the 400 meters (1:01.04), Megan Miller (Fr., Crestwood H.S.) in the 800 meters (2:25.88), Lindsey Pifher (Fr., Colonel Crawford H.S.) in the 1500 meters (5:01.68), Beth Costello (Fr., Canton South H.S.) in the long jump (16' 3") and Ickes in the discus (129' 7"). In addition, the women's 4x100-meter relay team of Vallie Scott (Jr., West Branch H.S.), Costello, Laura Scott (Fr., West Branch H.S.) and McElrath finished second in 50.97 seconds.
Third-place finishes included Kayleigh Bildstein (Fr., Madison H.S.) in 800 meters (2:26.62), Patton in the 100-meter hurdles (15.84), Aubree Horning (Sr., Salem H.S.) in the hammer throw (130' 2") and Katie Murphy (Jr., St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S.) in the javelin (95' 3").
This week, the Malone teams will host the AMC Championships on Friday and Saturday. Events will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Friday and at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Men’s Golf Claims Runner-Up Finish At Mount Vernon Nazarene Invitational
The Malone College men’s golf team tallied a second-place finish among a nine-team field at the Mount Vernon Nazarene University Invitational last Friday and Saturday. Malone registered a two-day score of 600 (292-308) to finish just one stroke behind Cedarville University which won the team title at 599 (299-300). Ohio Dominican University placed third (607), host Mount Vernon Nazarene took fourth (614), SUNY Delhi (NY) was fifth (624), Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College finished sixth (626), Walsh University came in seventh (637), and Notre Dame (OH) College rounded out the field in eighth (655). In addition, the Walsh B squad finished ninth at 704.
For the Pioneers, Ben Smith (So., Carrollton H.S.) paced the team and finished in a tie for third overall at 145 (68-77). Justin Lower (Fr., Northwest H.S.) was fifth at 147 (75-72) followed by Darren Phipps (Sr., Lake H.S.), who tied for ninth at 152 (75-77). Michael Strayer (So., Riverside H.S.) carded a 156 (74-82) to finish in a tie for 19th while Matt Strayer (Sr., Riverside H.S.) finished in a tie for 33rd at 163 (80-83).
This week, the Malone “A” squad will compete at the NAIA Classic hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University on Monday and Tuesday while the Malone “B” squad will participate in the Walsh University Invitational on Monday (at the Raintree Country Club in Akron at 8:00 a.m.). The Pioneers will then host the Malone College Invitational at Tannenhauf Golf Course in Alliance, Ohio on Friday (10:00 a.m.) and Saturday.
Women’s Golf Finishes Sixth At Saint Francis Invite
The Malone College women’s golf team competed at the University of Saint Francis (IN) Invitational on Friday and Saturday and placed sixth among a 12-team field. The Pioneers tallied a two-day score of 768 (381-387) as Bethel (IN) College took the team title with a score of 665 (321-344).
DePauw (IN) University placed second (679), Marian (IN) College was third (695), Lindenwood (MO) University took fourth (714) with host Saint Francis rounding out the top five (718).
For Malone, Elena Duncan (So., Winona Lake, IN) paced the team and finished in a tie for 17th overall at 182 (91-91) while Jen Blocker (So., Westerville H.S.) tied for 27th at 190 (94-96). Heather Hall (Sr., Bellefontaine H.S.) carded a 195 to place 31st overall, Alyssa Westfall (Fr., Ashland H.S.) took 36th with a score of 201 (99-102), and Laurie Grubb (So., Lake H.S.) tied for 39th at 209 (99-110).
This week, Malone will compete at the Wittenberg University Invitational on Tuesday before traveling to South Bend, Indiana on Friday and Saturday to compete in the Bethel College Blackthorn Challenge.
Women’s Tennis Loses to Ohio Dominican, Roberts Wesleyan; Defeats Ursuline
The Malone College women's tennis team lost to Ohio Dominican 9-0 on Monday (at home) but bounced back to defeat Ursuline College 8-1 on the road Wednesday. The team finished up the week by losing a close 5-4 decision at Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College on Friday. With the 1-2 week, the team now stands at 2-9 overall and 1-3 in the AMC.
Scores for the matches (in order - Ohio Dominican, Ursuline, Roberts Wesleyan) were as follows:
#1 Cami Urdea (Sr., Brasov, Romania) L 6-0, 6-1 W 6-1, 6-3 W 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
#2 Jackie Quilter (Sr., GlenOak H.S.) L 6-1, 6-1 W 6-1, 6-2 L 6-4, 6-2
#3 April Victor (So., Tallmadge H.S.) L 6-2, 6-1 W 6-1, 6-0 W 6-0, 4-1 (retired)
#4 Lynsey Fuller (So., Canton South H.S.) L 6-0, 6-4 W 6-1, 6-0 W 6-1, 6-0
#5 Allison Hinkle (Sr., Jefferson Area H.S.) L 6-0, 6-0 L 4-6, 4-6 L 1-6, 2-6
#6 L forfeit --- ---
#6 Jen Aderholt (So., Wheeling, WV) ---- W 6-4, 0-6/10-5 L 0-6, 1-6
#1 Urdea/Quilter L 8-0 W 8-2 W 8-6
#2 Victor/Fuller L 8-2 W 8-0 L 6-8
#3 L forfeit --- ---
#3 Hinkle/Aderholt --- W 8-5 L 8-3
This week, Malone (2-9, 1-3) will travel to Carlow (PA) College on Wednesday for a 1:00 p.m. match and will also play at Cedarville University on Friday at 3:30 p.m. The team will finish the week by hosting Shawnee State University on Saturday in a 2:00 p.m. match (note: this match was originally scheduled to be played at Shawnee State).
Softball Loses Doubleheaders To Mount Union, Ashland, Notre Dame
The Malone College softball team dropped six games in as many contests last week against some very tough competition. The Pioneers fell at NCAA Division III #18 Mount Union College 14-4 (five innings) and 12-4 (six innings) on Monday afternoon before dropping two games at home on Tuesday to NCAA Division II Ashland University by final scores of 7-0 and 10-2. The squad then wrapped up its week on Friday at home with losses of 9-2 and 6-1 to Notre Dame (OH) College. The Pioneers and Falcons were scheduled to play two more games on Saturday afternoon at Notre Dame but the 1:00 p.m. twinbill was postponed due to poor weather conditions. Following the 0-6 week, Malone’s record now stands at 8-14 overall with a 2-8 mark in the American Mideast Conference North Division.
Sophomore outfielder Morgan Heacock (Mt. Gilead H.S.) led off Monday’s opener at Mount Union with a triple and then scored on a groundout by senior centerfielder Ashlee Locker (Strasburg H.S.) to give the Pioneers an early 1-0 lead. The Purple Raiders erupted for 12 runs in the bottom of the first inning, however, to quickly put the game out of reach. Malone added three runs in the third but it was not enough as Mount Union went on to record the 14-4, five-inning triumph. Heacock smacked two triples in the contest and scored a pair of runs while Locker went 1-3 at the plate with two runs batted in.
Mount Union’s offensive continued to fire away in game two as the Purple Raiders scored 12 runs on 16 hits to secure a 12-4, six-inning victory. The Pioneers tallied eights in the game as junior first baseman Ashleigh Ralston (Wadsworth H.S.) plated two runs with a second-inning double. Heacock went 2-3 at the plate in the nightcap with one run scored.
In game one against Ashland on Tuesday, Malone committed five errors while being held to three hits in a 7-0 defeat. Freshman pitcher Jessica Krska (Norton H.S.) went the distance on the mound for the Pioneers, taking the loss after surrendering seven runs (six earned) on 13 hits over her seven innings of work.
The Eagles took command of Tuesday’s finale with four runs in the top of the first inning and then stretched their advantage to as much as 10-0. Malone got on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh but the squad could not overcome the sizable deficit, falling by the 10-2 final. Senior starting pitcher Kathryn Bzdafka (Avon Lake H.S.) started on the mound and took the loss (1-5) for the Pioneers after surrendering seven runs over 6.1 innings pitched. Malone notched seven base hits in the contest as Heacock and freshman catcher Laura Ronk (St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S.) each went 2-3 at the plate.
In game one on Friday, the Falcons broke open a close game by plating six runs over the final three innings. Krska started the contest and suffered the loss (3-4) after surrendering three runs on five hits in one inning of work. Malone tallied four hits in the game as Ronk went 1-1 with a double, two walks, and one run scored.
Friday’s second game remained scoreless until the top of the fourth inning when the Falcons got on the scoreboard with an RBI double. The visitors then tacked on three runs in the top of the fifth and two more runs in the top of the seventh to take a commanding 6-0 lead. Freshman designated player Karre Thompson (East Canton H.S.) led off the bottom of the seventh with a single. Heacock then entered the game as a pinch runner for Thompson and quickly came around to score after a double by senior shortstop Holly Christopher (Garfield H.S.) and a Notre Dame fielding error. Malone’s offense was unable to muster any additional runs in the inning, however, as the Falcons retired the next three Pioneer batters to secure the 6-2 victory and extend their winning streak to eight games. Ralston went the distance for the Pioneers, taking the loss (4-5) after giving up six runs on nine hits over her seven innings pitched.
This week, Malone (8-14 overall, 2-8 AMC North) is slated to participate in a total of eight games, starting with a home doubleheader on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. against Point Park (PA) University (9-9 overall, 4-4 AMC North). The Pioneers will then travel to Ursuline College (2-12 overall, 1-9 AMC North) on Thursday for a 4:00 p.m. twinbill before returning home to host two games against Shawnee State University (11-10 overall, 3-7 AMC South) on Friday at 3:30 p.m. The squad will wrap up its busy week on Saturday at the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) East Regional hosted by Geneva (PA) College (16-10 overall). Malone will play a single, seven-inning contest against Mount Vernon Nazarene University (16-8 overall, 7-5 AMC South) at noon before taking on Geneva in another single, seven-inning contest at 2:00 p.m.
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